Thousands celebrate Pride in Costa Rica

San José, Jun 26 (EFE).- Thousands of people took to the streets in the Costa Rican capital on Sunday to celebrate LGBT+ Pride Day after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The march began in Central Park of San José and culminated in the National Stadium where a series of cultural activities closed with a concert by Mexican singer Paulina Rubio.

In addition to celebrating, the participants shouted human rights slogans and demanded that the country’s president, Rodrigo Chaves, appoint a presidential commissioner for the LGBT+ community.

Chaves, from the right-wing Social Democratic Progress Party, said on Wednesday that he will not appoint a special commissioner for the LGBT+ population, since he believes that this role should also address other vulnerable sectors of the country.

“It is a worrying action that violates our rights. We must work so that our struggles continue from the state apparatus, either from this commissioner or from another figure,” said the Pride Costa Rica organization.

A commissioner for LGBT+ issues worked during the previous governments of Luis Guillermo Solís (2014-2018) and Carlos Alvarado (2018-2022), both of the center-left Citizens’ Action Party.

“We are here to make our struggle visible, to show that we are not second-class citizens and that we have the same rights as any other person,” participant Nancy Rodríguez told EFE.

Pride marchers also celebrated achievements such as the legalization of same-sex marriage two years ago, but recognized there are still many challenges to face, such as discrimination and hate speech. EFE

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